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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. fall — to drop
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. fall — the season
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — clever
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stand — to bear
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bat — for baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com